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“So, how long have you been dating Abby?” Davis asks me. I want to punch the cocky smirk off his face.
“Abigailand I have been together for a little while now.“ I have no interest in this asshole’s questions about my fake girlfriend, and I don’t appreciate his use of a nickname I would bet my life on he knows she hates.
When Marshall gets out to line up his shot, Davis leans closer to me. “It’s true what they say about redheads in bed.” He nudges my arm. “Am I right?” You have got to be kidding me.
“I don’t know, David. What is it they say?” This asshole.
“It’s Davis, bro. Lighten up a little. I’m just yanking your chain.”
“Look,bro, I don’t give a shit what your name is.“ I know it’s Davis, but I couldn’t resist the dig. “If you think I have any intention of swapping stories with you about the girl you were dumb enough to cheat on and lose, then you’re more of an idiot than I gave you credit for.”
The guy sitting next to Davis looks between us like he can’t believe someone had the audacitynotto kiss this guy’s ass.
“Oh, come on, man. It’s not like you haven’t sampled anything I haven’t been balls deep in. Tell me, does she still do that thing where—“
Just then, Marshall comes up behind Davis and slaps him on the back. “Your turn, son.” Davis shoots me a lecherous smirk, and it takes everything in me not to punch him square in the jaw. He thinks he has the upper hand because I won’t do anything to embarrass Abigail around her father. He might be right about that, but he has no idea that Abigail has come into her own the last few years away from him and her image-obsessed family. If he tries this shit around her, he’ll be in for a world of hurt. I, for one, can’t wait to sit back and enjoy the show.
Chapter 13
Abigail
Iregretnothavingthe car with me so I could make a hasty escape about three point five seconds after walking into the restaurant. My mother is dressing down one of the staff for not having the right shade of white for the place settings. According to my mother, any idiot can tell the difference between linen white and dove white and she just can’t fathom how the staff setting up the event could possibly get it wrong. Ugh, this woman is in a class all to herself.
After sending the woman away to contemplate why the hell she’s in this job to begin with, my mother turns to me and plasters on her fake public smile.
“Abigail. So glad you could make it.” The way she says it has the hairs on the back of my neck rising, like I would have bailed on my sister. We came to town early, specifically for this luncheon, after yet another guilt trip from my mother about family obligations.
“I wouldn’t have missed it, Mother.” I return her fake-as-hell smile with one of my own.
“Well, I thought after the outburst you had at the house yesterday, you would have skipped it since you’re still holding Raelynn in such low esteem.” Umm, what?
“Why would Raelynn have anything to do with whether or not I came today?” As the words spill from my mouth, I’m hit with a realization. “Cesily invited her?”
“Of course, honey. She was married to her future brother-in-law for some time, and they became close. And we’re still close with her parents. It would have been in bad taste not to.”Bad taste?You have got to be kidding me. “She hasn’t made it in yet, but I’m sure she’ll be here. Poor thing has been through so much since the divorce.” My mother whispers the last word like it’s a secret Davis was a cheating asshole to begin with.
I scoff. “Yes, it was so tragic and completely unexpected.” My mother shoots me a withering glare, but before I can say anything further, a couple of the ladies from my mother’s country club come up to compliment her on the beautiful event.
“Oh, thank you. I have been working so hard on making sure everything is perfect for my little girl’s day. Can you believe they tried to lay out dove-white napkins?” She shakes her head like it’s the dumbest mistake anyone could have ever made. No, that would have been me thinking my family would have considered how awkward it would be to sit here and play nice with the girl who played tonsil hockey with my boyfriend’s dick. Jesus, what is wrong with these people?
I grab a drink from the passing waiter and take a sip of the bubbly. I have a feeling I’ll be asking that question a lot more on this trip. Maybe I should make a drinking game out of it. Oh man, would Julia get a kick out of that one. I’d be drunk in twenty minutes flat.
I wander away from the social climbing pariahs my mother calls friends to find my sister. We haven’t been close since the incident with Davis. It makes me sad that we don’t talk anymore except for when I’m guilted into making an appearance during the holidays, but she chose her side, and it wasn’t mine.
Cesily is holding court at a table fit for the queen my mother is making sure she is today. I walk over to her to say my hellos. When she sees me coming, she halts her conversation with one of the girls sitting next to her and a wide, saccharine smile stretches across her face. The crowd turns to look at me. Several of them have a look on their face like they just bit into a sour lemon. This isn’t going to be awkward at all.
“Abigail, thank you so much for coming.” She comes over to greet me with air kisses on both sides. I wonder for the millionth time how we got here. She used to squeal with excitement every time I came home from college, and now she’s treating me like a stranger she had to invite because our mother insisted.
“Hey, Cesily. You look beautiful.”
And she really does. My sister has always had a waifish, ethereal look to her, with her light-blonde hair and big blue eyes. While my body is all curves, she has the body of a ballerina, tall and willowy.
She introduces me to the group of girls, all her bridesmaids apparently, and their sharp perusal of my appearance tells me I’ve been found lacking. I thought the emerald-green maxi dress paired with strappy gold sandals that I picked out was a win, but these girls don’t seem to share my sense of style. It could be the plunging neckline that throws them off, but Jackson certainly appreciated it this morning if the heated look in his gaze when I emerged from the bathroom wearing it was any indication. I’m not about to don a pastel floral sundress like half of the other women here are wearing.
“So, I hear you’re dating Jackson Hayes.” My sister is trying to make conversation to cut the tension.”When Mama told me who the Hayes family was, of course I had to go online and do a little stalking since you never mentioned him to me.”
Considering we’ve only talked a handful of times over the last five years, I have no idea when I would have told her about him.
“He is absolutely delicious, Abigail. I can see why you were keeping him to yourself.” Cesily giggles and the girls surrounding her follow suit. I can’t tell if it’s a veiled reference to the demise of my former relationship, or if she’s trying to sweep the whole “we never talk anymore because you chose my asshole ex over your sister” thing under the rug. Knowing her, it’s a little bit of both.
